


give me a chance and i'll try to give you the world.

by porcelainsimplicity



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X2: X-Men United (2003) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3727489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jubilee couldn't keep the smile off her face. “Remember that exceptionally good looking guy that used to work across the street?”</p>
<p>“Like you and Piotr would ever allow me to forget,” Bobby said, slinging his messenger bag off his shoulder and setting it on his desk. “Why are you bringing up John? He hasn't worked there for a few years.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	give me a chance and i'll try to give you the world.

**Author's Note:**

> it's just scenes. it doesn't really have much of a beginning and it has absolutely nothing of an ending. it certainly leaves a lot for you to imagine yourself, or for me to expand upon in future chapters/stories. (should my mind cooperate, which it often doesn't.)

Bobby walked inside the shelter, stopping at the check-in area and presenting Marie with a caramel latte. “Good morning, Marie.”

“Good morning, Bobby,” Marie answered cheerfully. “Glad you're here. Jubilee is waiting in your office.”

Bobby sighed and his shoulders slumped. “How bad is it?”

“I'm not sure,” Marie said honestly. “She wasn't really talkative when she came in.”

“Thanks Marie.”

“Thanks for the coffee,” Marie called out as Bobby started to walk away. 

Bobby walked into the office after a moment, shutting the door behind him. “What is it?”

Jubilee couldn't keep the smile off her face. “Remember that exceptionally good looking guy that used to work across the street?”

“Like you and Piotr would ever allow me to forget,” Bobby said, slinging his messenger bag off his shoulder and setting it on his desk. “Why are you bringing up John? He hasn't worked there for a few years.”

Jubilee just laughed. “John. Of course you would remember the guy's name.”

Bobby sighed and sat down at his desk. “Is there a point to this? I have a lot of work to do.”

Jubilee stood up and pulled an envelope from her purse. “This is from Kitty. It's an invitation to a private viewing of her new art exhibition. And you better go, because her new assistant is the guy.”

Bobby stared at him with his eyes wide. “Excuse me?”

“Kitty's new assistant is the exceptionally good looking guy.” Jubilee dropped the envelope on top of the messenger bag. “Show up, or Kitty's going to pull her donation.”

Bobby's eyes managed to widen even more. “WHAT?!”

“Don't shoot the messenger.” Jubilee turned and walked out of the office, leaving Bobby to stare at the envelope. 

He picked it up after a moment, sliding his finger underneath the flap and opening it up. He pulled the invitation out and scanned it quickly, silently cursing Kitty underneath his breath when he realized the art exhibition was that very night. Sighing heavily, he pushed himself out of his chair, walking out of the office and heading back towards Marie. 

“Marie! I need you to round up something appropriate for me to wear to an art exhibition tonight! It's important!”

*

Piotr walked into Bobby's office and immediately shut the door behind himself. “I think we've got a couple of druggies at the moment.”

“We're a homeless shelter,” Bobby said, not even looking up. “We always have a couple of druggies.”

“Yeah, well, these two just had a bust up, so I've moved them to opposite sides of the building, and warned them if they fight again, we'll have to kick them out.”

“Again, homeless shelter. These things happen.”

“I talked to Jubilee.”

Bobby sighed and lifted his head, taking in the expression on Piotr's face. “And I suppose that means you've heard who Kitty's new assistant is.”

“Bobby, I just don't think it's a good idea for you to go see this guy.”

“It's an art exhibition that I have to go to not to lose Kitty's donation,” Bobby said, reaching for his drink and taking a sip. “It's not that big of a deal.”

Piotr sighed and walked over to the chair in front of the desk, sitting down. “You may not remember what you were like after that guy disappeared, but I do.”

“You're overreacting.”

“I just don't want to see you like that again.”

“It's not going to be like that,” Bobby said, standing up. “I probably won't even see him.”

“You know Kitty is going to make sure that you do.”

“Kitty doesn't have a clue who he is to me.”

Piotr gave Bobby a skeptical look. “Do you think Jubilee hasn't told her?”

“Even if she has,” Bobby said, walking around his desk and leaning on the corner of it, “I see of no reason why Kitty would want to get involved in my love life.”

“Because she's _Kitty_ ,” Piotr said. “Why else do you think she's threatening to pull the donation if you don't come tonight?”

Bobby sighed heavily. “Piotr, do you honestly think I haven't thought about that?”

“Which is all the more reason that you need to stay away from this guy, because if you get your hopes up, and he lets you down again, I'm going to be stuck putting you back together again.”

Bobby pushed away from his desk and hit Piotr on the back of the head. “It's an art exhibition. I'm going. I will not need to be put back together again. Go back to work.”

Piotr sighed and stood up, reaching for the back of his head. “If you say so, Bobby. But don't think for a moment I don't know how this is going to turn out.”

“You don't,” Bobby called out, walking back to his chair. “Now get out of my office. I have work to do.”

*

“Bobby!”

Bobby looked up from his glass of wine to see Kitty walking towards him, John following a step or two behind. “Kitty,” he said softly, smiling at her. “You look wonderful tonight.”

Kitty looked down at her dress, which Bobby knew had been specifically purchased just for this occasion, no matter how much Kitty was about to deny it. “Oh, this old thing? Bobby, honestly.” Kitty stopped when she was nearly standing on Bobby's toes, leaning in and allowing Bobby to kiss her cheek softly.

“You and I both know that's a lie,” Bobby whispered, causing Kitty to laugh as she stepped back. “So, Lady Pryde, are you going to take me on a tour of your latest pieces? I've been admiring them from across the room.”

“No,” Kitty said, stepping back and motioning to John. “John's going to do that.”

Bobby forced himself to swallow the mouthful of wine he'd just gotten when John stepped forward and Bobby got a good look at the suit that hung perfectly on his lanky frame. “John. It's lovely to see you again.”

“Oh, you two know each other?” Kitty asked, in a voice that let them both know that she clearly already knew that. “How wonderful. I'll leave you two to catch up.”

Kitty walked away then, leaving John and Bobby staring at each other in an awkward silence. Bobby downed the rest of his glass of wine, then glanced around looking for a waiter. 

“How are you?” John finally said, and Bobby tried to ignore how much that voice got to him. 

“Look,” Bobby said, refusing to meet John's gaze. “I don't know what Kitty has said to you but I don't need you to babysit me. So, just stop being polite and leave, okay?”

Bobby barely caught the look of hurt that flashed across John's face before he expertly hid it away. “I suppose I deserve that. Can we talk?”

“Why?”

“Because there are some things that I think I need to clear up.”

Bobby looked around for a waiter again, because he really needed another drink. “I think you said all that needed to be said a few years ago. Excuse me.”

He turned and walked across the room, forcing himself not to look back.

*

“Bobby, you have a choice to make. Either go talk to John, or lose my donation.”

Bobby turned from viewing a particularly angry looking painting to find a particularly angry looking Kitty standing behind him. “You cannot be serious about pulling the donation just because I don't want to talk to John.”

“Yes, I am,” Kitty said, giving him a look that clearly said she meant what she was saying. “John recognized your name when we were creating the guest list for tonight, I noticed his reaction, he told me what happened, and I decided you two needed to talk.”

Bobby turned back to the painting. “He's already said everything that was necessary.”

“And he didn't mean a word of it,” Kitty said, walking around so Bobby had to look at her. “Go talk to him.”

“Kitty.”

“Bobby.”

“I don't want to get hurt again.”

“Which is all the more reason that I think you need to hear what he has to say,” Kitty said, smiling at him. “He's out on the terrace. Go talk to him.”

Bobby hesitated, but Kitty was having none of it. 

“Go talk to him and I'll double the donation.”

Bobby paused and stared at her, thinking about how helpful the extra money would be for the shelter. “You'll double the donation?”

“Yes. Go talk to him.”

Bobby downed the rest of his glass of wine and took a deep breath. “Fine.”

*

Bobby walked out onto the terrace and found John leaning against the railing, smoking a cigarette. “Hi.”

John looked up and pulled the cigarette from his mouth. “Hi.”

“So I might not have been very fair to you earlier,” Bobby said, taking a couple of steps towards him. “I'm sorry for that.”

“No, don't apologize. I deserved that.” John took a long drag on his cigarette. “You want a smoke?”

Bobby walked over to him and leaned up against the railing. “You know I do.”

John fished the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and shook one out, handing it to Bobby before reaching for his lighter. He flicked it on and Bobby quickly lit the cigarette, taking a long drag from it before exhaling a cloud of smoke into the air. 

“I miss our cigarette breaks,” Bobby said softly. “I always looked forward to them.”

“I miss them too,” John said, taking a deep breath. “Bobby, I'm really sorry for what I said that night.” 

Bobby took another drag off his cigarette. “Right.”

“I know you probably won't believe me, but that was just another example of why I shouldn't drink. When I do, all the homophobic shit my father said to me comes out.” John took a long drag off his cigarette. “I haven't had a drink since I realized what I said to you that night. And I'm never having another drink again.”

“Your family didn't take your coming out well?” 

“You could say that.”

They both brought their cigarettes up to their lips, and Bobby took his time letting the smoke drift out from his mouth. “Mine didn't either.”

John looked over at him with a sympathetic smile. “I'm sorry.”

“That's why what you said hurt so much,” Bobby stammered out, determined not to look at John. “The second time in my life someone I truly cared about stood in front of me and said that shit to me.”

“I'm sorry,” John said again. “I'm so, so sorry. You have no idea how much I've hated myself over the past few years because I ruined what we were building between us. You're an incredibly special guy, Bobby, and I loved getting to know you. I wish I could have known you more, and I've thought every day about how I would try to make things right between us if I ever got the chance. But I understand that you don't want that, you made it clear earlier tonight, and so I'm just trying to deal with the fact that I fucked this up for good.”

Bobby took another couple of drags off his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and stubbing it out with his shoe. “Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

John looked over at him in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“Bobby,” John breathed out. “Don't think that you have to do this.”

Bobby spun around and pinned John up against the railing. “I have thought of you every single day since the last time I saw you, because I was so fucking in love with you back then, and seeing you tonight...god, John, I just want to have dinner with you. And I don't think that I have do this, I want to do this. You don't deserve another chance but I'm giving you one anyway.”

John let his cigarette drop down to the floor and reached up to clasp Bobby's face gently. “Dinner sounds wonderful.”

Bobby leaned forward and captured John's lips with his, and John's arms wrapped around his neck and held him close.

Neither of them noticed Kitty standing at the door with Jubilee, bright smile on her face. “That, Jubilee, is how you get things done.”

“You doubled the donation to the shelter for that.”

“I was going to double the donation to the shelter anyway.”

“You planning on telling Bobby that?”

“Already written up,” Kitty said, smiling at her. “You get to deliver it to the shelter tomorrow.”

Jubilee smiled back. “Why don't you have your assistant do that?”

Kitty's smile turned into a grin. “I think that's the best idea you've ever had, Jubilee.”


End file.
